A Guaranteed Hole in One with Report-IT

A Guaranteed Hole in One with Report-IT

By Kevin Allen, Producer/Host, “Views from the
Rough”

We’ve all heard of Kodak moments,
those times in your life where a camera documents an event for
posterity. As a professional, golf photographer, I’ve had many of
these. I’d also like to share a more recent experience, what
I call my “codec moments”.

Kevin Allen, “Views from the Rough”, Interviews

Allen Wronowski, President of The PGA of
America

with Report-IT

But I’m getting ahead of
myself. In addition to my sports photography business, I also
produce and host a weekly golf talk show, “Views from the
Rough.” My weekly program discusses everything golf, but not
necessarily from my perspective.

With close to 20 years in the game,
and a professional sports career, I am on a first name basis with
hundreds of professional athletes from every sport
imaginable. The common thread – they all like golf, and they
love to talk about it – with me.

Views from the Rough differs from
other golfing shows in that it is rich in first-person interviews,
and this is where my “codec moments” come in. As I travel and
encounter golf pros both on and off the course, I had to make sure
that I had my cassette recorder, mike, fresh cassettes and
batteries, and headphones with me at all times.

Field reporters know what I
mean. More than once, something would be missing. I’d
eventually get the interview, but all the equipment was a burden,
and foul-ups were embarrassing. I tinkered with pocket
recorders, minidisk recorders, even the expensive digital
recorders, but found each had their drawbacks. I kept thinking
there had to be a better way - something simple, something compact,
yet reliable.

Tieline Technology is a
manufacturer of audio codecs. A codec changes audio into digital
packets to be transmitted over a cellular or IP (internet) network.
When received, the signal is converted back to audio with amazing
quality as the result.

Tieline codec equipment is used for
covering sporting events all over the world. The equipment is
housed in a metal case, simple to use, and is reliable and rugged.
I’ve seen the equipment used for everything from Olympic and
professional team game coverage to broadcasting the Little
League.

So where does my “codec moment”
come in? Tieline has developed an application for the iPhone that
turns the iPhone into an audio codec. Called the Report-IT,
this development is huge for field reporters like me.

It means that the only equipment I
have to carry is my iPhone. Apple developed the microphone used in
the iPhone to have studio quality response. I press one button, and
my iPhone is connected to my studio and I can feed broadcast
quality audio.

Kevin Allen Interviewing Kerry McCoy,

Pro Wrestler, with Report-IT

The application also permits me to
record and edit interviews, and then play back the selections of
that interview as a part of my live report. I can also feed raw
audio back to my FTP site, for editing when I’m back in the
studio.

For anyone who has tried to
interview a celebrity at a moment’s notice, the advantages of this
new technology are obvious. Report-IT allows me to capture comments
and intriguing conversations that would be missed while setting up
a traditional recorder. Plus I’m not lugging ten pounds of
equipment around 18 holes!

Back at the club house or the media
room, I don’t have to keep an eye on equipment, and my iPhone or my
iPad, is ready to record those personal nuggets that make Views
from the Rough so unique. I invite you to listen and judge for
yourself. Archived shows are found at www.viewsfromtherough.com.
Click on “shows” along the top banner. If you’re a Station General
Manager, Program Director and are interested in airing a Golf Talk
show, Jim Nantz has called, Views from the Rough, “A Golf Show
unlike any other”.